Awesome Aquifers

Awesome Aquifers
Type	Earth Science
Category	Lab
Event Information
Latest Appearance	2012
Forum Threads
2012 2011

Awesome Aquifers is a Division B event for 2012, sponsored by the Groundwater Foundation.

Event Background

In 2005, Awesome Aquifer consisted of a setup time, a demonstration time, and a written test. Students could build their aquifer ahead of time and set it up during the setup time or build one on site during the setup time. The students then would demonstrate their project in front of judges. Scoring was based upon a predetermined rubric; a written test was used as a tiebreaker. In 2006, Awesome Aquifer was revised significantly. You are now required to build your model on site in 10 minutes. The presentation of your model counts toward the final 50% of your total score, the two tests make up the other 50%. Awesome Aquifers returned in 2007 but was taken out in the 2008 season. It returned once again in 2011. 2011 was like 2006, a 10 minute build time and a 10 minute presentation that counts toward 50% of your total score, the two tests make up the other 50%. The 2012 rules have not changed a lot, as competitors can bring 3.1L containers, and still have 10 minute set-up time.

Stations

The event this is made up of four 10-minute stations. Most event supervisors will have you rotate from one station to the next (i.e. 1-2-3-4 or 3-4-1-2 or 2-3-4-1, etc). The four stations are:

1. Vocabulary test (questions involve terminology relating to hydrogeology)
2. Resource test (utilize the provided charts, graphs, and maps to answer questions)
3. Building station (here you will be provided with a list of about 4-10 objectives {see list below} to design your model around - this list is what the judges will be scoring your model on. Use your time at this station to build your model aquifer and write some brief notes to help your through your presentation at station 4)
4. Present your aquifer to the judges (judges will base their scores on your ability to verbally define/explain each objective on the list as well as how well you manipulate your model to visually show the objective. In addition, judges might ask a surprise question or two which will make you think on your feet)

Competitors are allowed to bring pencils and model building materials to the event. Outside books, notes, references, etc. are not allowed. The event supervisor will provide the tests, score sheets, and objectives lists.

Scoring

Vocabulary test = 25%, Resource test = 25%, Presentation of model = 50%.

Score Sheet

The Test

Awesome Aquifer is an earth science event based off ground water; because of this, it is a larger event. It takes a lot of time to learn the material and then to put it into a presentation. To start, here is the material most likely to be included on the test.

Hydrologic Cycle

For more information on the Hydrologic Cycle, please see the Hydrologic Cycle main page.

Aquifers

As stated in the previous section, aquifers are underground geological structures that can store and release water. There are two main types of aquifers with pretty simple names. Confined Aquifers are aquifers that are confined between two impermeable layers (layers that do not allow water to pass through) and Unconfined Aquifers which allow water to seep/flow freely through them.

Groundwater Flow

Groundwater is moving, albeit at a very slow rate. Calculations involving the movement of groundwater are a very common concept in Station 2 tests.

Vocabulary

The test will often include sections asking for definitions and usage of vocabulary. For definitions of vocab terms that are often used in this event, please see the Glossary at the bottom of this page.

The Model

The next major part of this event is the building and presentation of the model aquifer to the judges.

Example Objectives

This is a list of some possible objectives participants may be asked to demonstrate, and some suggestions on how to manipulate the model to show each one:

• Recharge from precipitation - all that is needed is a water bottle, atomizer, spray bottle, etc. to show this.
• Recharge from surface water bodies - small plastic containers (Tupperware) with tiny holes at the bottom can be used so that when filled with water, the container drains in about 40 seconds. This can simply be placed on the top layer of rock.
• Groundwater discharge - to surface water and wetlands - use the original water body from 2, put small holes in sides, and after it has been placed in the top layer, it will fill with water as you pour the water bottle (or other from 1) over the rocks near this. Do the same thing to the wetland with the wetland being represented by a sponge
• Connection between surface water and groundwater - This is easier to show with two bodies of water, but it can be done in a variety of ways. One way is to take the the water body from 2 and fill it with water, but on the other side have a deeper body of water with small holes in its side. As the water discharges from the first body of water it will go through the aquifer to the second body of water.
• Saturated zone - some people use sponge this isn't required; just fill the aquifer with enough water so that this layer (which should be one above the impermeable layer, if you use it) is filled with water. Rocks or clear beads work for this layer.
• Unsaturated zone - clear beads, rock, etc. can be used for this layer. It is right above the saturated zone and not covered in water. Make sure that water doesn't make this layer float.
• Water Table - between two zones above, just use cloth or a net-like material (net-like material is good to put between all layers so they don't mix)
• Porosity - use large rocks and small rocks. Show the difference in the space for water and air in each. There are also other possibilities for this step.
• Permeability - use rocks and a sponge. Show that water moves faster through rocks than a sponge, cloth, or different material.
• Wetlands - use a sponge, and spray with water, showing that it collects water.
• Wells - use materials like aquarium airline hose, drinking straws, or other narrow tubes. Add a soap pump, oral syringe or pipette to move water.
• Well sitting - show how a well in one location works compared to a well in another location.
• Well closure - plug the well with cotton ball or other item.
• Relationship between pumping and movement - use one of wells to show how water moves with and without the well pumping.
• Impact to SW from well - place well by SW and when doing 3, do it once with well pumping and once without. Note the difference between how much groundwater is discharged into surface water.
• One way to contaminate groundwater - use food coloring or powered drink mix, though red kool-aid is not ideal because it is very difficult to remediate.
• Point Source Pollution - have a small model factory and talk about how it can pollute the aquifer. This can be made with a grey lego block.
• Non-Point Source Pollution- get some houses from a Monopoly set and talk about how runoff is needed to transport the pollutants.
• Leachate - Cut out the bottom of a cup and put a filter instead. Fill the cup with rocks and Kool-Aid mix. Then, pour water through it and show how it collects the Kook-Aid and comes out colored.
• Movement of contaminate in groundwater - This is where white or clear beads can come in handy so movement of contaminates can be seen.
• Remediation - there are tons of filters that can be used, so be creative and pick one that works. Alum, which is a remediation technique used in water treatment plants, is another possible material to represent remediation, but the contaminated water will have to go through a filter after alum is put into it because alum will not take the colored water away.
• Sustainable yield - either have one partner put water in as precipitation while one takes water out through wells, or have one partner put water in as it discharges to surface water when entering the aquifer.

Presentation Tips

Remember these tips for presenting:

• Talk slowly and clearly, and enunciate. It may take practice to get used to this.
• Make eye contact.
• Work together with your partner. Take turns speaking, especially if each partner is an expert on different topics
• Write a script. Creating a script will help give the presentation a flow. After a decent amount of practice, following the script won't be necessary anymore.
• Relate the concept demonstrations to the local area. For example, during the 2011 Nationals Tournament, talk about the Wisconsin water system and discuss the differences between your state's and Wisconsin's. Be brief!
• Practice in front of as many people as possible. Not only does it encourage different opinions and advice, it's a good way to overcome any initial nervousness or shyness about presenting.
• Don't argue during the event.
• Use all your time. Cover a topic again if you have extra time.
• At the end of the presentation, ask the judges if they have any questions. Sometimes the judge will ask you to clarify a point, or ask about something which was omitted. They want you to get the highest score you can.
• Thank the judge when you're finished. It's polite - they're volunteering their time on your behalf.
• Clean up any mess you made. This leaves a good impression on the judges.
• Be prepared for any situation. The presentation could feel like a normal conversation or like a speech on a stage. The judges may ask for elaboration on something you said. Go in ready for anything.

General Tips

• Before the building part, it's important to master the basics of hydrology with an emphasis on groundwater. Dynamic Planet, Hydrogeology and Earth Science courses are closely related to the event. Learn about the water cycle. Be sure to grasp the concepts of permeability, infiltration, porosity, the water table, and the properties of different rocks (clay, sand, gravel, and impermeable igneous are the big ones). This information will form the background you need to begin learning about aquifers and how to build them.

• For the most part the ground beneath us is rock. Groundwater exists because there are tiny, interconnected spaces between and within rocks called pores, that under the right conditions can fill up with water.

• It is possible to demonstrate every single concept on the list in one presentation using an undivided aquifer if demonstrated in the correct order. Dividing the container into sections is another way to demonstrate all the concepts.

• If you keep getting bits of sand or gravel stuck in the "well" when withdrawing water, wrap a few layers of cheesecloth around the base of the tube and secure it with rubber bands.

• Generally, gravel is much less messy than sand, and less prone to clogging up the well. It's also easy to see the groundwater moving in between the rocks, while sand can remain wet even after your groundwater is sucked away. Clay is a good option for the impermeable layer, but be sure to have it rolled out before competition time.

• A good amount of activated charcoal comes with the Awesome Aquifer kit. It is also found in some wholesales and many shops for ponds and aquatic life.

• If a cone of depression does not form, either the well is too weak or the material the aquifer is in has a really high permeability. Try using sand as the aquifer.

• Difference between Infiltration and Percolation: Infiltration is when water initially penetrates into the ground. Percolation is the movement of water underground, after infiltration has taken place. Some texts may use infiltration in both cases, but percolation is really the correct term when you're talking about groundwater flow.

• Difference between Porosity and Permeability: Porosity is the rate of pore space to the actual rock. The pores could be interconnected, or they could not. Permeability is how easily a liquid can flow through the rock. Just because a rock is has a high porosity doesn't mean it is not very permeable.

Glossary

Glossary

Term	Definition
Aeration zone	The zone immediately below the land surface where the pores contain both water and air, but are not totally saturated with water. Plant roots can capture the moisture passing through this zone, but it cannot provide water for wells. Also known as the unsaturated zone.
Aquiclude	Impermeable beds of geologic material that hinder or prevent groundwater movement.
Aquifer	An underground geological formation able to store and yield water.
Aquifer storage and retrieval (ASR)	Use of a well or series of wells to inject surface water into an aquifer during wet weather or low demand periods for purposes of withdrawal and use during drought and/or high demand periods.
Artesian well	Putting water back into groundwater storage from surface water supplies such as irrigation, or induced infiltration from streams or wells. Includes aquifer storage and retrieval (ASR).
Baseflow	Streamflow coming from groundwater seepage into a stream or river. Groundwater flows underground until the water table intersects the land surface and the flowing water becomes surface water in the form of springs, streams/rivers, lakes and wetlands. It is the continual contribution of groundwater to rivers and is an important source of flow between rainstorms.
Best Management Practices (BMP's)	Structural, nonstructural, and managerial techniques recognized to be the most effective and practical means to reduce surface water and groundwater contamination while still allowing the productive use of resources.
Brackish	Mixed fresh and salt water.
Capillary Water	Just above the water table, in the aeration zone, this moves upward from the water table by capillary action. This water can move slowly and in any direction.
Collection Site	A stream, lake, reservoir, or other body of water fed by water drained from a watershed.
Condensation	The process in the hydrologic cycle by which a vapor becomes a liquid; the opposite of evaporation.
Cone of depression	The zone around a well in an unconfined aquifer that is normally saturated, but becomes unsaturated as a well is pumped, leaving an area where the water table dips down to form a cone shape. The shape of the cone is influenced by porosity and the water yield or pumping rate of the well.
Confined aquifer	A body of groundwater surrounded by confining layers.
Confining layer	Geologic material with little or no permeability or hydraulic conductivity. Water does not pass through this layer or the rate of movement is extremely slow.
Conservation	The use of water-saving methods to reduce the amount of water needed for homes, lawns, farming, and industry, and thus increasing water supplies for optimum long-term economic and social benefits.
Consolidated rock	Tightly bound geologic formation composed of sandstone, limestone, granite, or other rock.
Consumptive use	The use of a resource that reduces the supply (removing water from a source like a river, lake or aquifer without returning an equal amount). Examples include the intake of water by plants, humans, and other animals and the incorporation of water into the products of industrial or food processing.
Contaminant	Any substance that when added to water (or another substance) makes it impure and unfit for consumption or an intended use.
Darcy's Law	A groundwater movement equation formulated by Henry Darcy during the mid-1800's based on experiments on the flow of water through beds of sand. It forms the scientific basis of fluid permeability used in earth science.
Depletion	The loss of water from surface water reservoirs or groundwater aquifers at a rate greater than that of recharge.
Discharge	An outflow of water from a stream, pipe, groundwater aquifer, or watershed; the opposite of recharge.
Diffusion	The movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Discharge	An outflow of water from a stream, pipe, groundwater aquifer, or watershed; the opposite of recharge.
Discharge area	The area or zone where groundwater emerges from the aquifer. The outflow maybe into a stream, lake, spring, wetland, etc.
Drawdown	A lowering of the groundwater level caused by pumping.
Drought	An extended period with little or no precipitation; often affects crop production and availability of water supplies.
Erosion	The wearing down or washing away of the soil and land surface by the action of water, wind, or ice.
Evaporation	The conversion of a liquid (water) into a vapor (a gaseous state) usually through the application of heat energy during the hydrologic cycle; the opposite of condensation.
Evapotranspiration	The loss water from the soil through both evaporation and transpiration from plants.
Filtering	The soil's ability to attenuate substances by retaining chemicals or dissolved substances on the soil particle surface, transforming chemicals through microbial biological processing, retarding movement, and capturing solid particles.
Flow rate	The time required for a volume of groundwater to move between points. Typically groundwater moves very slowly—sometimes only inches per year.
Fresh water	Water with less than 0.5 parts per thousand dissolved salts.
Gaining stream	A stream in which groundwater discharges contribute significantly to the streamflow volume.
Gray water	Domestic wastewater composed of wash water from household sinks, tubs, and washers.
Groundwater	Water found in the spaces between soil particles and cracks in rocks underground (located in the saturation zone). Groundwater is a natural resource that is used for drinking, recreation, industry, and growing crops.
Groundwater Basin	The underground area from which groundwater drains. These basins could be separated by geologic or hydrologic boundaries.
Groundwater Divide	The underground area from which groundwater drains. These basins could be separated by geologic or hydrologic boundaries.
Groundwater under the direct influence (UDI) of surface water	A groundwater source located close enough to nearby surface water, such as a river or lake, to receive direct surface water recharge. Since a portion of the groundwater source's recharge is from surface water, the groundwater is at risk of contamination from pathogens such as Giardia lamblia and viruses, which are not normally found in groundwater.
Hydrogeology	The study of the interrelationships of geologic materials and processes with water, especially groundwater.
Hydrologic cycle	(also known as the water cycle) The paths water takes through its various states--vapor, liquid, solid--as it moves throughout the oceans, atmosphere, groundwater, streams, etc.
Hydrology	The study of the occurrence, distribution, and chemistry of all waters of the earth.
Impermeable layer	A layer of material (such as clay) in an aquifer through which water does not pass.
Induced recharge	The recharge to an aquifer that occurs when a pumping well creates a cone of depression that lowers an adjacent water table below the level of a stream or lake, causing the stream or lake to lose water to the adjacent groundwater aquifer.
Infiltration	Flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface.
Infiltration rate	The quantity of water that enters the soil surface in a specified time interval. Often expressed in volume of water per unit of soil surface area per unit of time.
Injection well	A well constructed for the purpose of injecting treated water, often wastewater, directly into the ground. Water is generally forced (pumped) into the well for dispersal or storage into a designated aquifer. They are generally drilled into aquifers that are not used as a drinking water source, unused aquifers, or below freshwater levels.
Integrated Management	Any combination of physical, technical, administrative, and legal practices relating to surface water and groundwater in a manner designed to increase combined benefits or achieve a more equitable apportionment of benefits from both sources. Also referred to as conjunctive use.
Interflow	Water that travels laterally or horizontally through the aeration zone during or immediately after a precipitation event and discharges into a stream or other body of water.
Irrigation	The controlled application of water to cropland, hay fields, and/or pasture to supplement that supplied by nature.
Karst (formation)	A geologic formation of irregular limestone deposits that dissolve forming sink holes, underground streams, and caverns.
Leachate	Liquids that have percolated through a soil and that carry substances in solution or suspension.
Leaching	The process by which soluble materials in the soil, such as salts, nutrients, pesticide chemicals, or contaminants, are washed into a lower layer of soil or are dissolved and carried away by water.
Liquid	The part of the hydrologic cycle in which molecules move freely among themselves but do not separate like those in a vapor/gaseous state.
Losing stream	A stream that is losing water to (or recharging) the groundwater system.
Maximum contaminant level (MCL)	Designation given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drinking water standards promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It is the greatest amount of a contaminant allowed in drinking water without causing a risk to human health.
Monitoring well	A non-pumping well, generally of small diameter, that is used to measure the elevation of a water table or water quality.
Municipal water system	A network of pipes, pumps, and storage and treatment facilities designed to deliver potable water to homes, schools, businesses, and other users in a city or town and to remove and treat waste materials.
Non-point source (NPS) pollution	Pollution discharged over a wide land area, not from one specific location.
Overwithdrawal	Withdrawal of groundwater over a period of time that exceeds the recharge rate of the supply aquifer. Also referred to as overdraft or mining the aquifer.
Parallel flow paths	Layers of groundwater flow that do not mix with other flow layers because groundwater movement is too slow to create sufficient turbulence to cause mixing to occur. This becomes an important factor in the location and movement of contaminants that enter the groundwater.
Perched aquifer	Localized zone of saturation above the main water table created by an underlying layer of impermeable material.
Percolation	(1) The movement of water through the openings in rock or soil. (2) The entrance of a portion of the streamflow into the channel materials to contribute to groundwater replenishment.
Permeable	Capable of transmitting water (porous rock, sediment, or soil)
Permeability	The rate at which water moves through rocks or soil.
Permeable layer	A layer of porous material (rock, soil, unconsolidated sediment); in an aquifer, the layer through which water freely passes as it moves through the ground.
Plume	In groundwater a plume is an underground pattern of contaminant concentrations created by the movement of groundwater beneath a contaminant source. Contaminants spread mostly laterally in the direction of groundwater movement. The source site has the highest concentration, and the concentration decreases away from the source.
Point Source Pollution	Pollutants discharged from any identifiable point, including pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, and containers of various types.
Pollution	An alteration in the character or quality of the environment, or any of its components, that renders it less suited for certain uses. The alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of water by the introduction of any substance that renders the water harmful to use.
Pore space	Openings between geologic material found underground. Also referred to as void space or interstices.
Porosity	The ratio of the volume of void or air spaces in a rock or sediment to the total volume of the rock or sediment. The capacity of rock or soil to hold water varies with the material. For example, saturated sand contains about 20% water; gravel, 25%; and clay, 48%.
Potable	Water of a quality suitable for drinking.
Potentiometric surface	The potential level to which water will rise above the water level in an aquifer in a well that penetrates a confined aquifer; if the potential level is higher than the land surface, the well will overflow. See artesian well and confined aquifer.
Precipitation	The part of the hydrologic cycle when water falls, in a liquid or solid state, from the atmosphere to Earth (rain, snow, sleet).
Recharge	Water added to an aquifer. For example, when rainwater seeps into the ground. Recharge may occur artificially through injection wells or by spreading water over groundwater reservoirs.
Recharge rate	The quantity of water per unit of time that replenishes or refills an aquifer.
Recharge zone or area	An area where permeable soil or rock allows water to seep into the ground to replenish an aquifer.
Reclaimed wastewater	Treated wastewater that can be used for beneficial purposes, such as irrigating certain plants.
Recycled water	Water that is used more than one time before it passes back into the natural hydrologic system.
Remediation	Containment, treatment or removal of contaminated groundwater. May also include containment, treatment or removal of contaminated soil above the water table.
Residence time	Period of time that groundwater remains in an aquifer.
Return flow	(1) That part of a diverted flow that is not consumptively used and returned to its original source or another body of water. (2) Irrigation water that is applied to an area and which is not consumed in evaporation or transpiration and returns to a surface stream or aquifer.
Ridge lines	Points of higher ground that separate two adjacent streams or watersheds; also known as divides.
Runoff	Precipitation that flows over land to surface streams, rivers, and lakes.
Safe yield	The annual amount of water that can be taken from a source of supply over a period of years without depleting that source beyond its ability to be replenished naturally in "wet years." Also called sustainable yield.
Salinization	The condition in which the salt content of soil accumulates over time to above normal levels; occurs in some parts of the world where water containing high salt concentration evaporates from fields irrigated with standing water.
Salt marsh	A low coastal grassland frequently inundated by the tide.
Salt water	Water that contains a relatively high percentage (over 0.5 parts per thousand) of salt minerals.
Salt water intrusion	Process by which an aquifer is overdrafted creating a flow imbalance within an area that results in salt water encroaching into fresh water supply.
Saturated thickness	Total water-bearing thickness of an aquifer.
Saturation zone	The portion below the earth's surface that is saturated with water is called the zone of saturation. The upper surface of this zone, open to atmospheric pressure, is known as the water table.
Seepage	(1) The slow movement of water into or out of a body of surface or subsurface water. (2) The loss of water by infiltration into the soil from a canal, ditch, lateral, watercourse, reservoir, storage facility, or other body of water, or from a field.
Septic system	This is used to treat household sewage and wastewater by allowing the solids to decompose and settle in a tank, then letting the liquid be absorbed by the soil in a drainage field.
Soil	The top layer of the Earth's surface, containing unconsolidated rock and mineral particles mixed with organic material.
Soil moisture	Water contained in the aeration or unsaturated zone.
Soil source aquifer	An aquifer that supplies 50% or more of the drinking water of an area.
Source water assessment	A process in which the land area that impacts a public drinking water source is delineated, possible sources of contaminants that could impact that drinking water source are identified, and a determination of the likelihood that the contaminants will reach the drinking water source is made.
Source water protection	Voluntary action taken to prevent the pollution of drinking water sources, including groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams.
Spring	The emergence of groundwater at the land surface, usually at a clearly defined point; it may flow strongly or just ooze or seep out.
Static water level	(1) Elevation or level of the water table in a well when the pump is not operating. (2) The level or elevation to which water would rise in a tube connected to an artesian aquifer or basin in a conduit under pressure.
Storm drain	Constructed opening in a road system through which runoff from the road surface flows into an underground system.
Strata	A layer within the earth's crust that generally consists of the same kinds of soils or rock material.
Sublimation	The transition of a substance from the solid phase directly to the vapor phase, or vice versa, without passing through an intermediate liquid phase.
Subsidence	A depression of the land surface as a result of groundwater being pumped. Cracks and fissures can appear in the land. Subsidence is virtually an irreversible process.
Substrate	A layer of material beneath the surface soil.
Surface water	Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff.
Temporary wetland	A type of wetland in which water is present for only part of the year, usually during wet or rainy seasons; also known as vernal pools.
Thermal spring	Heated groundwater that naturally flows to the land surface.
Transmissivity	A measure of the capability of the entire thickness of an aquifer to transmit water.
Transpiration	The process by which water absorbed by plants (usually through the roots) is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant surface (principally from the leaves).
Turbidity	A cloudy condition in water due to suspended silt or organic matter.
Unconfined aquifer	An aquifer in which the water table is at or near atmosphere pressure and is the upper boundary of the aquifer. Because the aquifer is not under pressure the water level in a well is the same as the water table outside the well.
Unconsolidated rock	Loosely bound geologic formation composed of sands and gravel.
Vapor	The state of water in the hydrologic cycle in which individual molecules are highly energized and move about freely; also known as gas/gaseous
Wastewater	Water that contains unwanted materials from homes, businesses, and industries; a mixture of water and dissolved or suspended substances.
Wastewater treatment	Any of the mechanical or chemical processes used to modify the quality of wastewater in order to make it more compatible or acceptable to humans and the environment.
Water	An odorless, tasteless, colorless liquid made up of a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. It forms streams, lakes, and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter.
Water-bearing rocks	A rock that can hold water.
Water quality	The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water with respect to its suitability for a particular use.
Water quality standards	Recommended or enforceable maximum contaminant levels of chemicals or materials (such as chlorobenzene, nitrate, iron, arsenic) in water. These levels are established for water used by municipalities, industries, agriculture, and recreationists.
Watershed	The land area from which surface runoff drains into a stream, channel, lake, reservoir, or other body of water; also called a drainage basin.
Water table	The top of an unconfined aquifer; indicates the level below which soil and rock are saturated with water. The upper surface of the saturation zone.
Water treatment plant/facility	A facility that treats water to remove contaminants so that it can be safely used.
Well	A bored, drilled or driven shaft, or a dug hole whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension and whose purpose is to reach underground water supplies to inject, extract or monitor water.
Well closure	The process of sealing a well that is no longer being used to prevent groundwater contamination and harm to people and animals.
Well field	An area in which productive wells are drilled.
Well siting	Location of a well placed to best protect water quality, access adequate water quantity, and allow for inspection and maintenance of the well.
Wellhead protection area	A protected surface and subsurface zone surrounding a well or well field supplying a public water system to keep contaminants from reaching the well water.
Wetlands	Lands where water saturation is the dominant factor in determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities.
Withdrawal	Water removed from a surface or groundwater source for use.
Xeriscaping	An environmentally friendly form of landscaping that uses a variety of indigenous and drought-tolerant plants, shrubs, and ground cover.

Links

GroundWater.org General Information

Aquifer Building

Vocabulary Help

FIRST AQUIFER HELP

Vocab Flash Cards